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Skills Academy will lay the foundations for learning

Plans for a new £5.5 million campus have been announced by Gateshead College. The campus, which will be dedicated to vocational learning will benefit future builders, plumbers, painters and decorators.

With funding from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and One NorthEast, the flagship campus will be situated on Kingsway South, Team Valley, and will provide learning facilities for more than 1,500 students when it opens in Spring 2008.

Students at the campus will benefit from 3,000 square metres of workshop space, classrooms, a learning and resource centre and a modern café. The site will also have amenities for vocational courses for 14 to 16 year olds.

Principal David Cheetham, said: “We are delighted to announce that we will be introducing a new campus dedicated to construction and vocational courses. The building is part of a massive investment by Gateshead College to provide new and improved education facilities.”

Hundreds of full and part time courses will run at the centre, including joinery, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation, brickwork, plastering, gas servicing and repair and painting and decorating. The academy will integrate vocational learning, work-based learning further education and will provide a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Business and Management.

Chris Roberts, regional director at LSC North East added: “The Skills Academy will house a wide curriculum base covering 14-16, 16-19 vocational, 19 plus adult, and high level skills training, as well as apprenticeships and professional trade courses. It will also be a flagship 14-19 centre supporting the delivery of the new diplomas delivered through a collaborative partnership involving the college, work based learning providers, schools, employers, and a private training provider.”

Gateshead College is also investing more than £60 million in education in the region including the landmark Baltic Campus which will replace the existing Durham Road building from early next year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .